If Only
by wishing.upon.a.star
Summary: If only things hadn't gone that way from the start. Oh how different things would be.


_Halloween, Godric's Hollow_

"NO!" Lily's scream cut through the thick fog.

"You can't have him!" Another scream was followed as Lily picked up Harry and held him tightly.

"You can't stop me girl, NOBODY CAN STOP ME NOW!" a cold voice uttered laughing evilly.

"Your downfall will come soon, just you wait!" James voice came through deeply and darkly. James had put his arm around his wife who was still clutching Harry. Harry however had picked up his favourite toy and held it against James and Lily. The Potter family all felt a strange tug at their navel as James and Lily's eyes widened in shock.

"Nooooooooooooo!" Voldemort screamed as he quickly sent the killing curse at Harry, which rebounded and caused his first downfall. They found themselves in Dumbledore's office and no longer at Godric's Hollow.

xxx

Lily was feeling a bit faint, so she handed Harry to James and promptly fell unconscious. Dumbledore saved her fall with a flick of his wand, he levitated her into a chair. "Tell me everything that happened." Dumbledore commanded as James slumped into a chair with shock, still nursing a happy Harry.

"Peter betrayed us, we changed secret keepers at last minute… Then he came looking for us and tried to kill Harry, but-but the curse it rebounded? Harry had grabbed his favourite toy and held it against me and Lily. Next thing I knew we were here." James said wide-eyed. Dumbledore looked thoughtful,

"I'll send the Minister to find Pettigrew, and I'd also like Sirius to come here. Yes I set up the portkey, it was only to be activated if Voldemort came though, somehow Harry must have known." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. One of the men in the portraits had disappeared. As if on cue he re-appeared,

"He's on his way Headmaster." Dumbledore turned to face the portrait.

"Ah yes, thank-you for that. I trust that Scarlett is with him?" Dumbledore asked the portrait as Lily woke up.

"Yes headmaster, she seemed pretty worried." The portrait replied dryly. At that moment two dusty figures emerged from the fireplace looking pale and worried.

"Oh thankgod! Lily, James are you alright?" Scarlett started off looking scared, "Is it Harry?" She whispered in fear.

"I, no. We're fine just a little shocked. Harry, he survived the-the curse." Lily burst into tears as she glanced at her son re-thinking the nights events.

"I am going to kill that rat!" Sirius muttered angrily. "No need Sirius, the Minister has already caught and sentenced him to the Dementors kiss." Dumbledore said as he shook his head sadly. Harry was now sitting on the floor playing with his favourite toy, not understanding anything of the night's events.

"Well he deserved it! James, Lily I am so sorry! I should never have changed the Secret Keeper to Wormtail, oh gods its all my fault." Sirius buried his head in his hands as Scarlett walked over to her husband to comfort him.

"No!" James roared suddenly angered by Sirius's statement. "It's not your fault, everything is okay now! Voldemort is dead, Harry's alive, we're alive and Peter is getting his soul sucked out of him. Don't you dare blame yourself for that." James said looking very angry, at that point Harry burst into tears. Lily scooped him up and nursed him suddenly noticing the lightning bolt cut on his forehead.

"Dumbledore, that won't stay there will it?" Lily asked fearfully. "I'm afraid it will my dear, all I can do is heal up the cut." Dumbledore said and flicked his wand, the cut instantly sealing over but was still clearly shown. Everyone looked scared in the room.

Xxx

_5 years later…_

"Uncle Sirius!" 6 year old Harry squealed in delight as Sirius scooped him up and spun him around.

"Hey fawn how is it going?" Sirius used his pet name for Harry.

"Uncle Sirius, look! Dad bought me a broom!" Harry jumped up and down in excitement.

"And do you know how to ride it yet?" Sirius asked pretending to be just as excited as Harry.

"Of course I do! I know everything." Harry said solemnly. Sirius chuckled. At this point James entered the room looking amused.

"I assume you've heard about the broom Padfoot?" He asked looking at his son who had become intrigued with his broom.

"By the sounds of it, everyone has." Sirius replied looking just as amused with his nephew. James knelt down in front of his son who looked him in the eyes seriously. Sirius watched Harry intently, who as currently tying his fathers' shoelaces together without James knowing.

"Now Harry, are you ready to try and ride that broom?" James asked with a twinkle in his eyes. Harry had finished tying James's shoes now.

"Yeahh!! But you have to ride your broom too Dad, otherwise I'll have no way to beat you..." Harry said easily and turned on his foot and ran singing, "I bet you can't catch me." Along the way.

"I'm going to get you!" James chuckled and went to run after his son who had turned around in the doorway to watch. James tripped and fell flat on his face as Sirius roared with laughter. A two year old toddled into the room and lay down next to James,

"Bedtime?" She asked with wide-eyes. James laughed, "Your cheeky Harry James Potter! And Sarah its not bed-time…" James explained easily. "It's tickle time!" He added and attacked his daughter with tickles. She screeched with laughter and giggles.

"Come on fawn, leave Dad and Sarah to their game… I'll come ride with you!" Sirius raced Harry out to the backyard of the potter mansion where Scarlett, Lily and Scarlett's kids Lana and Jay were sitting. "Sirius where are you taking my son?" Lily snapped as Sirius scooped him up and spun him around again.

"Harry's going to test out his new broom… Want to come Jay?" Sirius turned to his son with a large grin. "Yeah Dad, but my brooms at home?" Jay ran over to them eagerly. "No problem." Scarlett flicked her wand and Jay's broom appeared.

Harry and Jay were the same age, and so were Lana and Sarah. James appeared through the back-door with a giggling Sarah on his shoulders. "James Potter you better be careful with her!" Lily scolded. "Mamma, Daddy falled over!" Sarah exclaimed bursting into more giggles. James put Sarah down and placed her in front of him, "You promised me you weren't going to tell Mama?" James said in mock-shock. Sarah simply giggled and ran over to play with Lana. "How did you fall?" Lily asked looking bemused. "Harry tied my shoelaces together." James said going a bit red. Scarlett and Lily laughed, "He definitely takes after his father…" Scarlett said breathlessly.

"I'm going to join my son if you ladies don't mind." James glared and jogged over to Sirius, Harry and Jay. "You ready Harry?" James asked his son who was struggling to stand still. "Am I ever!" Harry replied excitedly. "Come on Jay, I'll help you with your broom." Sirius beckoned his son over as James took his son aside to help him get on the broom. "Okay Harry, stand next to your broom and say 'up!'" James helped his son into the right standing position. "Up." Harry commanded and was surprised as the broom jumped up into his hand. "I did it!" He said excitedly. He climbed onto his broom and zoomed around the large paddock about 5 ft above the ground. He was soon joined by Jay, Sirius and James.

Xxx

"Bye Mum! Bye Dad! Bye Sarah!" 11 year old Harry called back to his parents and younger sister as he boarded the train with his best friend Jay. Lily had tears in her eyes and so did Sarah, James just stood proudly and waved as the train set off for Hogwarts.

"Ready Harry?" Jay asked his best friend as they looked for a compartment. "Heck yeah! Hey I found one!" Harry replied as he darted into the compartment to claim it. "Cool!" Jay replied as they settled and began a long conversation about quidditch when a boy with red hair stumbled in.

"Oh sorry, didn't realise there was people in here." The boys ears turned red, Jay and Harry only grinned. "Hey you can sit with us if you like? I'm Harry Potter and this is Jay Black." Harry introduced them as the red-eared boy sat down looking embarrassed.

"Blimey! You're Harry Potter? That's insane! I'm Ron Weasley by the way…" Ron trailed off as he found himself babbling. "Hey Ron, do you like quidditch?" Jay asked with a smirk that could top his fathers easily. "Oh yeah! I support the Cannons! What about you?" Ron replied as they eagerly got into a debate about whether the Cannons or the Harpies were better.

"Hi, you haven't seen a toad have you? Neville's lost it… You'd better get changed, we'll be there soon." A girl with frizzy untamed hair walked in and looked around for the toad as Neville appeared behind her. "Neville! I didn't realise you were coming to Hogwarts this year?" Harry stood up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hi Harry, Hi Jay. I've been busy, with my parents you see. The doctors say their improving a lot!" Neville stuttered nervously.

"Oh mate, that's great!" Jay said encouragingly. "I see you know each other?" The girl said looking amused. "Well yeah, we grew up together!" Harry exclaimed as he pushed his messy hair back the girls mouth formed a rather large 'O'. "Hey listen, I know you think he's good looking but seriously that's dead creepy." Jay joked. "You're Harry Potter." The girl said bluntly. "Well thanks for telling me, I had no idea." Harry replied sarcastically.

The girl seemed excited now. "I'm Hermione Granger, I'm muggle-born but I've read a lot about you! You're the only wizard to ever have survived the killing curse!" She raved on excitedly. "He always has this effect on girls, you know nearly making them wet their pants." Jay said dully to Ron, who instantly spluttered out the juice he was drinking with laughter. "Glad to excite you but you said yourself we have to get changed… So get out?" Harry ushered the girl and Neville out of their compartment.

When they arrived at the station, there was a large figure calling out for the first years. "Hagrid!" Harry and Jay exclaimed happily. "Well if isn't young Potter and Black! Nice to see you, I think I'll see a lot of you this year!" Hagrid winked and showed them into the boats. The kids all gasped in wonder at seeing the castle except Jay and Harry who knew their way around pretty well. "Hey Jay." Harry started. "What?" Jay replied as he looked over the edge. "Don't fall!" Harry said quickly giving Jay and quick shove and making him nearly fall. "Oh there'll be payback for that!" Jay's eyes twinkled just like his fathers when he had an idea or plot for revenge.

_20 minutes later-_

"When I call your name, please go and sit on the stool, put the sorting hat on your head and wait to be sorted." Professor McGonagall stated clearly. "Oh I'm gunna kill Dad." Jay muttered as he found out what they had to do to get sorted. Harry laughed. "First up, Abbot, Hannah." Professor called out as a girl went up and was sorted into Hufflepuff. A few people later Jay got called up. "Black, Jay." Jay went and sat on the stool easily.

_Ah, you have courage young one. But you could do well in Slytherin, You have the brains of a Ravenclaw but lots of courage… Therefore it will have to be…_

"_GRYFFINDOR!" _

Jay got up and went down to the Gryffindor table glaring at his father who was sitting at the Teachers table. Neville, Ron and Hermione were also sorted into Gryffindor and soon it was Harry's turn. "Potter, Harry." McGonagall stated clearly as murmurs erupted through the Great Hall.

_Well young one you show quality traits of each house, but where to put you?? You could do well in slytherin._

Not slytherin, Not slytherin.

_Not slytherin eh? Well then it will have to be…_

"_GRYFFINDOR!"_

The Red table erupted in cheers as Harry ran down to sit next to Jay and Ron. His father watched him proudly from the Teachers table.

A few minutes later when all the 1st years had been sorted, the Headmaster Dumbledore addressed the school. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! I trust you've all had a good summer? A reminder to all the first years, you are not allowed into the forest or on the 3rd floor corridor. This year we've decided to try a different staff regime, we have Professor Potter teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Black teaching Transfiguration and Professor Quirrell(sp?) teaching Care of Magical Creatures. Professor McGonagall will be helping in many classes and doing more Headmistress work. Professor Potter and Professor Black will also be swapping classes at some points since they are both more than qualified for both subjects. Before we eat, I have four words. Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, Tweak. Dig in!" Professor Dumbledore waved his wand and the food appeared on the tables.

"Wow! I've never seen this much food before, I mean mum cooks a lot but not this much!" Jay was in awe. Two boys that looked identical with red hair the same as Ron's were sitting across from them. "That's what we thought when we arrived here, but you get used to it. Now Fred what do you say, a toast?" George said mocking English royalty. "Why now George what an awesome idea! To Messrs Moony, Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail… The greatest pranksters to ever grace these halls!" Fred replied as they chinked glasses sloshing drink everywhere. Harry and Jay had stopped eating and started laughing. "Something funny Potter?" Fred glared at them. "Well yeah…. We know those people you just mentioned personally!" Harry replied still laughing as George's jaw nearly hit the table along with Fred's.

"Woah! You know them? We practically worship them!" George said still in awe. "I think I'm going to like you Potter, you too Black." Fred added as Jay loaded his spoon with peas and flung them across the room to hit a surly looking boy in Slytherin. The group burst out laughing, "Nice aim kiddo!" George congratulated. The rest of the meal was full of pea flinging, quidditch talk and practical joke plots. When everyone finally filed out, Harry and Jay went up to meet their Dad's in their private rooms.

Sirius opened the door to let them in only to be tackled to the ground by Jay.


End file.
